Home > Archive > Volume 51, No. 3 > This paper
The Differential Impact of Religion on Life History and Reproductive Strategy: Muslim and Orthodox Gypsies in Serbia
Jelena Čvorović
Published: 2011/03/01
Abstract
Previous studies have found that Gypsy populations in Europe exhibit more of a low investment mode of reproduction than surrounding non-Gypsy populations. In Serbia, however, Orthodox Christian Gypsies differ from Muslim Gypsies in a variety of cultural and reproductive behaviors. Data gathered during fieldwork undertaken in three Gypsy settlements in Serbia are used to evaluate the hypothesis that religious affiliation predicts variation in reproductive strategies within Gypsy populations. This hypothesis is supported by data indicating that Orthodox Christian Gypsies give more parental care to each of their fewer children than do the Muslim Gypsies, regardless of their location, type of settlement, and socioeconomic status. Differences in the two religious traditions might be responsible for this pattern.
Download PDF